Foldable kitchen table



lDec. 21,4 1948. M. E, H CHAPMAN 2,456,862

FOLDABLE KITCHEN TABLE Filed Nov. 1, 1944 Patented Dec. 21, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOLDABLE KITCHEN TABLE Mary E. H. Chapman, Crane, Mo.

Application November 1, 1944, Serial No. 561,439

(Cl. S11- 84) 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in combination furniture, the principal object being to provide a cook stove cover provided with collapsible means adapted to be extended when the stove is to be used, in order to form a cooks table.

Another important Object of the invention is to provide a combination stove cover and table wherein legs are provided which may be readily extended and secured in place.

A further object of the invention is to provide a table having a special top construction, which when the legs have been folded, is capable of being disposed on a stove in order to cover the top of the stove and act as a support for supporting whatever a cook or other person desires to place thereon, or to serve simply as an unobstructed ornate surface obscuring the usual burners and grill work or other rather displeasing structure of stoves.

Other objects and advantages of the invention shall become apparent to the reader of the following description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of the structure in collapsed form.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary and elevational View of a stove, showing the present invention disposed thereon and in transverse section.

Figure 3 is a front elevational View of the device extended to form a table and illustrated with a portion broken away.

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view through the device extended to form a table.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal sectional view through the structure collapsed to form a stove cover.

Figure 6 is a bottom plan View of the structure as represented in Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan View of the structure extended to form a table.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that numeral 5 denotes a top having depending side walls or flanges E at the ends thereof and a depending wall or flange I at the forward edge thereof. No wall or flange is necessary at the rear edge of the top 5 inasmuch asvthis edge oi the table will be opposed to the usual back wall A of a conventional stove B (see Figure 2).

suitably secured to the bottom side of the top 5 and adjacent each corner thereof is a block 8, the rear blocks having notches 9 extending inwardly from the rear sides thereof, while the Cil `front blocks have notches extending inwardly from the inner sides thereof.

At each end of the table is a leg assembly consisting of a bridge member IIJ having a pair of elongated longitudinally tapered legs II, II secured thereto. The legs may be braced by a cross member I2. Further, it is preferable that these legs of the two assemblies be so tapered and oppositely disposed with respect to each other as to interlap or nest together in the manner shown in Figure 6, the end portions of the opposed legs of the assemblies going together, side by side, so that when the collapsed structure is placed upon a stove asin the manner shown in Figure 2, the entire structure is actually supported on the stove by the four blocks 8.

Each of the bridge members III has pintles I3, 'I4 projecting from the opposite ends thereof in alignment with one longitudinal edge portion thereof. These pintles I3, I4 are disposed through openings in the corresponding rear and front blocks 8, 8 and project through the corresponding notches 9, as in the manner clearly shown in Figure 6.

A laterally disposed lug I5, projecting in the same plane as the supplemental legs II, II, is provided at the free end of the pintle I3, while the end portion of the pintle I4 is threaded and projects through an opening in the corresponding end of the front Wall 1. On this threaded pintle I4 is an internally threaded barrel I 6 from which a crank handle II projects.

In the use and operation of the convertible structure, it can be seen that assuming the structure has just been taken off of the stove B and inverted, as shown in Figure 6, and the crank handles II have been rotated to unscrew the barrels I6 a sufficient extent so that by pushing inwardly on the crank handles, the bridge members I 0 are pushed rearwardly so as to free the lugs I5 from clamped engagement against the rear sides of the rear blocks 8.

The leg assemblies can now be swung upwardly to extended position and then moved forward so that the lugs I5 will engage in the notches 9, thus holding the leg assemblies in extended position.

The barrels I6 are now screwed inwardly by the crank handles I1 until they abut the front wall 'I, thus securing the leg assemblies with the lugs I5 engaging in the notches 9.

The table may now be set up on its legs, as shown in Figure 4 and will remain steady and of service to a cook or other person Working in a kitchen.

When it is desired to collapse the table and replace it on the stove B, when the stove B is not in use, the barrels IB are screwed outwardly, thus freeing the bridge members I0 so that the leg assemblies can be pushed inwardly, to disengage the lugs l5 from the notches 9. When this has been accomplished to the extent shown in Figure 6, the leg assemblies are swung inwardly and will assume an.interlappedposition, as clearly depcted'in Figure. iTh-e barrelsi @may then'be screwed inwardly in order to draw'the lugs v[5 snugly against the rear blocks 8 and this friction will be suicient to hold the leg assemblies "'in collapsed position while the structurefis`.'ib'eing placed on the top of a stove.

Obviously, the top 5 and the Walls 6,"1'ma'y'be decorated in any suitable'mannerftoipleasethe eye, and furthermore, the top l may be used for supporting various items when the V'same ais a-cting as a cover for the stove.

'i'Wh-ile the foregoing'de-scription setsforth'-the invention in specicterms;V it isE to `be lunderstood that numerous changes vvinf the shape, size and materials'.'may-v be l'resorted to rwithout departing from the spirit andscope ofthe invention as v.'clai-medi`l hereinafter. i

4ll-laving thus Vdescribed the l invention, .zvvhat,v I claimis: f

2A foldable table vcomprising a top,a1pair.of leg :.:assemblies fmeans pivotally connecting-1 said f leg -^;assembliesto-said top, yarrdmeans operative to lock said leg assemblies in extended position n relative to said topfsaid vtop having an apertured dependingflange along the front edge thereof,

leach of saidv leg` assemblies .comprising apair `of e' tapered leg-s, a bridging member secured-to the upper .ends ofnsaid legsa pintle extending-outfwardlyironfi eachr end .of said bridging member, one nf said ,pintles being. externally screw( thread- 4 ed, and a laterally-disposed lug on the other of said pintles adjacent the outer end thereof, said means pivotally connecting said leg assemblies to said top compri-sing a pair of blocks for each 5 leg assembly said blocks being secured to the underside of said top and each block having an aperture receiving a corresponding pintle and a respective notch adapted to receive the adjacent -.end ,oisaid bridging memberin one case and said l0 Vglugintheaotherfcase toA lock the corresponding leg assembly in extended position relative to said-top, ,said leg assemblies being so connected to said top by said blocks that said screw-threaded pintles r'f'extend-.thr'ough respective apertures in said top 15 mange, andsaid locking means comprising barrels "threadedonto said screw-threaded pintles outside osaidlftopran'ge to draw said lugs and bridging members into said block notches and releasably 'retain them in locked. condition therein.

20 MARY E. H. CHAPMAN.

SREFERENCESCT'ED `The following references are of record' injthe 

